[DD Martin]

After two weeks off for the Holidays we get back at it. The Architects and the GLBL have still been playing ball and we will start to get caught up this week.

Back to Division Play with 6 Big Games

Heading into Memorial Day we have a big home series against the Detroit Thunderbirds (25-22) who are still annoyingly hanging around. Not only are we tied with them in the standings, we find ourselves in a 3-way tie with Toledo at 3 games back of 1st place Duluth.

May 29th through 31st 2056
Detroit Thunderbirds 25-22 T-2nd in US vs Chicago Architects 25-22 T-2nd US
Chicago’s Pier IV Grounds

We have a 3-game series at home against the Detroit Thunderbirds kicking off today. Here is my report on the opponent:

Going 25-22 so far this year, the Thunderbirds have compiled a .532 winning percentage. They are in 4th place in the South of the Border, 3.0 games behind the leader. Their number of runs scored of 249 rank 3rd in the USA, their .283 batting average ranks 1st. On the other side of the diamond, they have given up 236 runs (3rd) with their starters compiling an ERA of 4.96 which ranks 5th. Their bullpen sports an ERA of 5.04, ranking 3rd. When playing against our Architects this season, they have a record of 0 wins and 6 losses.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP V. Imbert (3-3, 3.74 ERA) vs LHP D. Miller (3-2, 4.72 ERA)
RHP T. Noble (3-0, 4.09 ERA) vs LHP B. Miller (3-4, 6.28 ERA)
RHP M. Inoue (5-4, 3.21 ERA) vs RHP B. Xian (1-4, 6.85 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SP Bill Clary (Age: 28, Overall : 3.5, Potential: 3.5)
2. RF Stan Gillis (30, 3.0, 3.0)
3. LF Melvin Akerval (26, 3.0, 3.0)
4. 1B Mal Johnston (22, 3.0, 4.0)
5. SP Joo-seok Kim (27, 3.0, 3.0)

Game #1 - Monday May 29th, 2056
Detroit 25-22 vs Chicago 25-22
LHP Dwyane Miller (3-2, 4.72 ERA) vs RHP Val Imbert (3-3, 3.74 ERA)
A - 35,052

Detroit scored six runs in the first: four walks, a two-run Trace Brunel double, a walk, and a three-run Dai-Lin Tah double. Chicago starts to chip away the lead, but Detroit puts up a five-spot in the sixth with former Architect Art Loder hitting a grand slam. Detroit 14, Chicago 11.

RF T Stone 4-5 DB HR 2r 4RBI BB SB, 1B R Osborn 3-3 HR R 2RBI 3BB, C J Duran 2-5 RBI, SS K Mulford 2-5 DB R, LF J Justice 3-4 DB HR 2R 2RBI BB
HR - Det DH A Loder (6), RF S Gillis (4), 1B M Johnston (9), CH - 1B R Osborn (6), DH J Aranda (3), CF J Justice (3), RF T Stone (3)
POTG - Detroit RF Stan Gillis

Game #2 - Tuesday May 30th, 2056
Detroit 26-22 vs Chicago 25-23
LHP Brian Miller (3-4, 6.28 ERA) vs RHP Motoyuki Inoue (5-4, 3.21 ERA)
A - 37,016

Chicago’s Reagan Osborn kicks off the scoring with a two-run home run in the first. Chicago scores four more times in the first four innings, then goes hitless the rest of the way. Motoyuki Inoue (6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 9 K) wins his second start as an Architect. The Tects bullpen nearly blows it. Chicago 6, Detroit 5.

HR - Det none, CH - 1B R Osborn (7)
POTG - Chicago SP Motoyuki Inoue (4) 2 with Chicago

Game #3 - Wednesday May 31st, 2056
Detroit 26-23 vs Chicago 26-23
RHP Joe Davis (1-1 1.95) vs RHP Yale Hulburt (1-1, 7.88 ERA)
A - 36,461

Chicago’s Joe Justice, José Aranda, and Joe Hunt all homer. Justice also singles in a run. Kent Nosworthy hits a two-run double. Chicago takes two of three and takes a one-game lead on Detroit in the Wild Card race. Chicago 10, Detroit 4.

DH J Aranda 2-3 DB HR 2R 2RBI BB, 3B K Noseworthy 2-4 2DB 2R 2RBI, CF J Justice 2-4 HR R 3RBI
HR - Det C J Seldon (1), CH - CF J Justice (4), DH J Aranda (4), C J Hunt (6)
POTG - Chicago DH Jose Aranda (2)

Summary - After a lousy first game the Architects came back strong and took 2 out of 3 against Detroit and ran their record to 8-1 against Detroit. 1B Reagan Osborn had 2 home runs in the first two games and hopefully he is coming out of his season long siesta and will have a great June. This club could surely use his bat.

What we could also use is some consistent pitching. It’s been very shaky of late and the concern is growing and I am feeling justified in giving up so much to get Inoue. If he and Cedeno can anchor our rotation and with Yale Hulburt hopefully starting to get into the season after a year off, things could be looking up.

The team is happy to have an off-day tomorrow especially in front of a big series against Duluth.

Off Day June 1st

June 2nd through June 4th 2056
Duluth Sea Gulls vs Chicago Architects
Chicago’s Pier IV Grounds

After taking 2 out of 3 against Detroit this could be the most important series of the 1st half of the season. We are at home against US leading Duluth and we trail them by 4 games. If we could somehow pull off a sweep of this series, we could go into the 3rd round of Canadian crossover games just 1 game out of first. That is a big ask as Duluth has been on fire since they started the season 5-10. Since then they have gone 26-9 and are by far playing the best ball in the US Division and have closed the gap on Hamilton who sits at 33-17.

Today we begin a 3-game series with the Duluth Sea Gulls at home.

With their record standing at 31 wins and 19 losses, the Sea Gulls have a winning percentage of .620. They are leading the South of the Border. The Sea Gulls are playing well at the moment, having a 3-game winning streak going. Their number of runs scored of 235 rank 5th in the USA, their .265 batting average ranks 6th. On the other side of the diamond, they have given up 212 runs (1st) with their starters compiling an ERA of 3.61 which ranks 1st. Their bullpen sports an ERA of 3.79, ranking 1st. When playing against our Architects this season, they have a record of 3 wins and 3 losses.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP J. Cedeño (6-1, 3.05 ERA) vs RHP W. McNeely (5-2, 2.98 ERA)
RHP V. Imbert (3-4, 4.61 ERA) vs RHP C. Collier (4-3, 3.36 ERA)
RHP M. Inoue (6-4, 3.20 ERA) vs LHP T. Gross (4-2, 3.54 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. 1B Jorge Rangel (Age: 25, Overall : 3.5, Potential: 4.0)
2. 2B Carlos Figueroa (30, 3.5, 3.5)
3. CF Carlos Sánchez (25, 3.0, 3.5)
4. SP Chris Collier (24, 3.0, 3.0)
5. SP Billy Hill (34, 3.0, 3.0)

Game #1 - Friday June 2, 2056
Duluth Sea Gulls 31-19 vs Chicago Architects 27-23
RHP Will McNeely (5-2, 2.98 ERA) vs RHP Jose Cedeño (6-1, 3.05 ERA)
A - 37,063

The Gulls win their fourth straight and their eighth game in their last nine. Reagan Osborn has a good game in defeat. He goes 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs. Derrick Drew’s two-run double in the sixth turns a 6-5 deficit into a 7-6 Gulls lead. Duluth 8, Chicago 6.

1B R Osborn 3-4 2HR 2R 4RBI, DH J Aranda 2-4 DB R
HR - Dul none, CH - 1B R Osborn 2 (9)
POTG - Chicago 1B Reagan Osborn (2)

Game #2 - Saturday June 3rd, 2056
Duluth Sea Gulls 32-19 vs Chicago Architects 27-24
RHP Chris Collier (4-3, 3.36 ERA) vs RHP Motoyuki Inoue (6-4, 3.20 ERA)
A - 36,891

Chicago’s Kennelly Mulford homers and singles in a run. John Lambert singles in two. Motoyuki Inoue (5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 K) doesn’t have his best stuff, but he does have enough to pick up his third straight win as an Architect. Chicago 5, Duluth 4.

2B J Lambert 2-4 2BI BB, LF R LeRoy 2-4 R, SS K Mulford 2-4 HR 2R 2RBI, 3B K Noseworthy 2-4
HR - Dul C K Waters (3), CH - SS K Mulford (1)
POTG - Chicago SS Kennelly Mulford (2) 1 with Chicago

Game #3 - Sunday June 4th, 2056
Duluth Sea Gulls 32-20 vs Chicago Architects 27-24
LHP T. Gross (4-2, 3.54 ERA) vs RHP Yale Hulburt (2-1, 6.20 ERA)
A - 37,631

Duluth scores the first five runs; Chicago scores the last six. The winning runs come in the seventh, where Rodeo Leroy and David Kenney singled in runs. Chicago 6, Duluth 5

3B L Davis 3-5 DB R 2RBI, DH J Aranda 2-4 HR R RBI, CF C Luna 2-4 DB , 2B P Farrulla 3-4 R
HR - Dul CF L McAskill (3), CH DH J Aranda (5)
POTG - Chicago 3B Larry Davis (1)

Summary - Not exactly the result we had hoped for, but we did get 2 out of 3. Toledo climbed ahead of the Architects into sole possession of 2nd place by a game. We remain 3 games out of 1st place. There is not much more we can do as financially we are now strapped and we have spent a lot of the prospect assets that I was willing to move. Hopefully we can get 3B Arnaud back and with this last week we saw Reagan Osborn start to heat up as he won player of the week.

Player of the Week in the USA

When it came to hitting the baseball, Reagan Osborn was in a class by himself in the USA this past week. Nobody did it better.

The outstanding first baseman for Chicago tagged opposing pitchers for a .400 average and was voted the Player of the Week Award. Included in his stats were 8 hits in 20 at-bats, 4 homers, 6 runs scored and 8 RBIs.

In the 2056 season Osborn is hitting .229 with 9 home runs.

I still can’t believe he is hitting 229 at this point in the season. The good news is he can truly only go up and I hope he can take the rest of our team with him.

I added the pictures of our financial situation, I will get more into that as we continue to catch up to the league.